If you are tired of the same old restaurants and fancy trying something new over the weekend, look no further than three exciting new hotspots in Muldersdrift that are ideal for the whole family, particularly if you are a cycling enthusiast.
Opened this month, The Thatch Café is situated in the heart of the Cradle of Humankind and adjacent to the popular Rhino and Lion Reserve. It offers a delightful family outdoor experience under the watchful eye of partners Ed Hern, Derek Reyneke, Frank Wessels and Sarel Liebenberg.
Passionate about cycling in the area, this team is determined to position the venue as “A new world of family cycling”- a world class, highly convenient, one-stop venue which not only offers an enviable cycling experience for the whole family, but one which is also supported by a country-style restaurant.
Cycle routes for all ages have been designed, including 5km, 10km 15km and 60km on- and off-road. There is a Kiddies Track, BMX track and a Pump Track. And of course for something less strenuous, relax on the Café’s wooden deck to view game in the Reserve, while keeping a watchful eye on the kids performing their best on the specially-designed track a few metres away. Also on site is a fully-functional bike shop, which includes a service centre, bike wash and bike rental options.
Although the Reserve is closed on Mondays, The Thatch Café is open 7 days a week. Over weekends in summer, the doors welcome visitors from 06:00 and in winter at 07:00, closing at 16:00. During the week, you can pop in from 08:00 to 17:00.
Online visitors can find The Thatch Café on www.thatchcafe.co.za and on Facebook, or drop them a mail on bookings@rhinolion.co.za.
Just further down the road is the relaxed Driftwood Café at Riverstone Lodge. Already proving to be the perfect Friday afternoon or weekend getaway where good friends, good food and good times are the order of the day, Driftwood is open every Thursday to Sunday (Thursday 07:00 – 15:00, Friday and Saturday 07:00 – 21:30; Saturday 07:00 – 21:30 and Sunday 07:00 – 14:30). It offers an impressive breakfast menu with everything from your healthy start options to a full traditional English breakfast or farmhouse breakfast for those cyclists looking for something more substantial. Plenty of light meals including a delicious range of sandwich options, burgers, Moz wings and healthy summer salads are also available up till lunch. Mains for lunch and dinner offer a mouth-watering selection of pastas, vegetarian dishes as well as some meat and fish dishes with a Mocambican flair. The relaxed country ambience is wonderful for the whole family and Friday afternoons have become a firm favourite for drinks and snacks watching the sun go down and listening to some live entertainment.
Our hat trick is another newbie in the area – Bidon Bistro. Like all Muldersdrift hotspots this is another venue to literally “refesh and recharge” those batteries. Offering the same country charm and ambience, Bidon Bistro, located right next door to Kloofzicht, is a beautiful rustic little restaurant hidden among the trees. It’s very well signposted and they boast a big parking area for cyclists, complete with a bike-wash service.
The food is beautifully presented and absolutely delicious and a firm favourite with cyclists. They serve both breakfast and lunch and have a proper pizza oven on site. Besides the ever popular cappuccinos, there is also a delicious range of energy drinks and milkshakes to select from. Breakfasts are excellent. Some favourites include the Bidon Eggs Benedict, which comes with a potato rosti topped with a poached egg, brie cheese, gypsy ham and hollandaise. The traditional breakfast is also always a hit and comes with a delicious homemade sausage and crispy bacon.
For lunch there is a range of sandwiches, salads, burgers, grills and the full pizza menu to select from. Bidon is open Tuesday to Sunday from 7am to 6pm.